The Great Pretender
by Kreative1
Summary: To escape the harsh realities of her life, Bella uses her imagination to blur the edges and "pretend" her world is more desirable. When her fantasies bring her to a mysterious house in the woods, her games of make-believe take a supernatural turn. OOC.
1. Saved

Chapter 1 – Saved

I, Isabella Marie Swan, am a great pretender.

I know that statement doesn't tell you much, so let me explain myself. I am great at pretending things are one way, when, in reality, they are the complete opposite.

For example, I'm great at pretending that I am a beautiful woman, hiking her way across the country, instead of a plain, mousy, seventeen-year-old orphan runaway.

I'm great at pretending that I am on an adventure to find my long lost family, instead of desperately traveling to the town where my late parents grew up, in order to feel closer to them.

I am _really_ great at pretending that my mom is alive and well and waiting for me to return home from a visit to family, instead of facing the reality that mom is gone forever, I have no family and the only one waiting at home is her killer, my stepfather.

See? I'm an excellent pretender. I almost believe myself.

Almost, except the crushing pain in my chest murmurs the truth to me at every turn.

And the truth is I am alone in this world.

All I have to my name is a backpack stuffed with clothes, a pet cactus, and a battered anthology of Jane Austen Classics.

Oh, and my mom's diary, which contains all of her thoughts, secrets, pictures and an envelope, containing a dwindling amount of money, labeled 'Bella's College Fund'.

Said diary is currently my most prized possession.

Why? Because it saved my life.

My mom had been dead for less than a week and I knew it was only a matter of time before my stepfather came home drunk. I feared what would happen when he did. My mother was no longer around to accept his beatings.

I knew, just as sure as I know my own name, that I would become her replacement.

I was right, but I had no idea that he planned to make me her replacement in every way.

He came home drunk six days after her death and hit me because I looked just like her. I cowered in the corner of my shabby bedroom, pressing my swollen face into the moldy carpet, and hoped that he would leave me alone and go pass out on the couch. It was the way he always ended the beatings with my mother. But he did something different. He hauled me up and dragged me to their bedroom, the one they used to share.

I tried to fight him. I knew he was about to touch me in the one place mom had always told me was special and I fought harder than I'd ever fought before to stop him. In the end, it didn't matter. He beat me until I was weak and half unconscious and I was helpless as he forced my legs open and forced himself into me, tearing me and pumping me as I cried out for my dead mother to save me. I felt nothing but relief when I finally passed out and dreamed of my mom.

When I awoke, I was on the bed and he was behind me, spooning me like we were a loving married couple. It made my skin crawl, but I laid there and cried silent tears, pretending to want his embrace so he wouldn't hurt me anymore. I watched the sun rise through the small, dirty apartment window as I cried and waited. When he finally woke up, he squeezed my breast hard and instructed me to cook him breakfast, ordering me to not dress as I reached for my torn clothing.

I cooked him eggs in the nude as he watched lecherously from the kitchen table. Whenever I passed too close to him, he touched my private parts and I shuddered in revulsion at his cold touch. He laughed at me and told me to get used to it.

That's when I knew, this was my life now. I was now doomed to the life that my mother chose; the life that eventually killed her.

When he left for work, I immediately locked myself in the bathroom and took a shower. I scoured myself from head to toes with scalding hot water. I wanted every trace of that monster off of me. I felt dirty as I watched my own blood swirl down the drain. I didn't even consider going for help. I'd just end up in foster care where I'd probably get worse treatment, and from a complete stranger. I had a friend from school, Bridgett, who lived with a foster family. She tearfully admitted to me one day that her stepbrother and his friends raped her every night. No thank you, one attacker was good enough for me.

After I dressed, I stumbled my way to my mother's and the monster's bathroom. I knew that was where she kept the first aid kit.

She got a lot of use out of that kit.

I didn't even recognize myself as I looked into the mirror. My face was swollen, my lips cut and busted. My left eye was nearly closed and was bloodshot red.

I did look like my mother. I looked just like she looked the mornings after his drunken beatings.

It was the first time I could ever remember not wanting to look like my mother. She was so beautiful and for as long as I could remember, I wanted to grow up and have long ebony hair, creamy porcelain skin and pouty pink lips, just like my mother.

But when he hit her, she turned into something ugly and grotesque. Now he'd done the same thing to me. The tears leaked from my eyes, stinging my cheeks.

I retrieved the kit from the medicine cabinet and gingerly pried it open. It was fully stocked with bandages, gauze, ointments and pain reliever. I took out the items one by one, sitting them on the counter, lining them up just right.

I was reaching for an unopened roll of gauze when I noticed something strange was tucked underneath the supplies at the bottom of the kit. I pulled out the flat, rectangular object, seeing that it was a book.

I opened the flowery cover, and my eyes widened. It wasn't a book.

It was a Diary.

My mother's flowing script, so much neater than mine, graced the inside of the cover, identifying the diary as belonging to Renee Swan. Swan, my dad's last name, not the last name of my stepfather.

I read the first entry with teary eyes.

_Dear Diary, _

_Today is my first day as Mrs. Charles Swan! I can't believe that I am married to such a strong, honorable and handsome man! It's like I'm living in a fairytale! Since my life feels so storybook right now, I figured this would be a good time to start a diary and document my new beginning…_

I smiled for the first time since my mom had died. It was like I had been given a precious gift. My mom lived on through this diary. I would always have a piece of her.

I skimmed through the diary at first, looking at the pages where she'd tucked random pictures and ticket stubs from dates with my dad. I smiled at an entry where she described her hometown, Forks, and how it hadn't changed much from when she was a small girl. I read a sad entry outlining an incident when she'd suffered a miscarriage before I found a grainy ultrasound from when she found out she was pregnant again; with me. A red circle and an arrow pointed out my exact location in the fuzzy photograph. I laughed through words chronicling the many bruises and scrapes I had suffered. I noticed a big time gap between entries right around the time when my dad died. When the next entry was entered, the tone was sadder. She talked about how she'd cried most of the night because I was sick and she couldn't afford my medicine.

The pages were wrinkled, smeared and dotted with blood when I reached the entries that revealed her abuse. I read about her hope for me to have a better life, one where I would experience college and marry a man like my father who would treat me like a princess. I cried as I realized my mother's dream for me would remain a dream and never come true.

As I flipped to the back of the diary, an envelope slid from between the pages and fell to the floor with a heavy flop. My burry eyes were unfocused for a long moment as I stared at the loopy scrawl on the front. I wiped my eyes, dashing the tears away and focused once more on the script.

It read, 'Bella's College Fund'.

I slowly retrieved the envelope and peeked inside.

Inside was a single sheet of pink stationary, wrapped around a thick stack of hundreds.

I stared at them in disbelief and pulled the stationary away. As I did, I noticed it was addressed to me.

I opened it fully and read slowly.

_Bella,_

_I want you to know that I love you soooo much. Your father would have been so proud to see you graduate from high school today. You were the light of his life and are the center of mine._

_You are my little grown-up, and though it pains me to think of you leaving to go away to college, I am also excited for the life you will live. I want you to try everything at least once. Don't be afraid to live and make mistakes. Make your life count and be as happy as you can be._

_I know this isn't much, but I couldn't send you off to college with nothing. I would suggest that you buy some clothes and make-up with it like other young girls, but I know you'll probably do something sensible. (Smile)_

_Whatever you do with it, make sure you are happy doing it._

_I love you! Congratulations!_

_-Mom_

I cried heavy tears, knowing my mom would never give me this present. She would never see me graduate. She would never send me off to college with an envelope filled with crisp one-hundred dollar bills. She would never do anything again.

She was such a wonderful human being, the bravest person I knew. Why did she stay and allow herself to be treated this way? We could have run away and been happy, together, without the beatings and rodents and crime-ridden apartment buildings.

She could have still been alive.

I reread the letter a hundred times, imagining her voice whispering the words in my ear as she hugged me. I imagined wearing my cap and gown and smiling as she snapped pictures of me with my Diploma.

Soon, the words ceased being a bittersweet fair-well to a college-bound young daughter.

As I read, the words morphed and became instructions.

My mom wanted me to live an exciting life. She wanted me to try new things and make mistakes.

She wanted me to be happy.

It was with that realization that I started to move.

I swept up the diary and envelope and ran to my room. I took a quick glance at the clock before I emptied my backpack of all my books and started hastily stuffing clothes and items into it. I grabbed my battered pair of hiking boots and stuffed my feet into them. I grabbed my only heavy parka, which I rarely used because Arizona rarely got cold, rolled it up and tied it to my backpack.

It took twenty-three minutes for me to pack up and leave my life behind.

I left with three hours to spare before the monster was due home.

I rode my bike into the next town, where I stopped at a convenience store and asked for directions to the nearest bus station.

My first purchase with the money my mom had so diligently saved for me was a bus ticket to Washington. I smiled as I handed the cashier the money.

It took me two days to get to Seattle. When I arrived, I bought a map and planned my route to Forks.

Through a series of ferries, I arrived in Port Angeles as the sun was setting on the third day. After I acquired a schedule for the bus that travels between Port Angeles and Forks, I secured some food and a room at a local inn for the night. After devouring a huge burger with all the trimmings, I slept like a baby with my parent's wedding photo clutched to my chest.

When I awoke the next morning, it was with a purposeful smile on my face. I showered, dressed and grabbed a blueberry muffin from the complimentary breakfast cart before checking out. I waited patiently for the nine am bus and when it arrived, I paid my fair and hopped on, claiming a seat near the back, away from the other passengers.

I stared out the window the entire time, observing the wall of green that flashed by at over sixty miles per hour. I counted the mile markers through the rain soaked windows, my breathing getting a little easier the closer I got to forks. When I saw the sign, welcoming me to the place of my parents' birth, I released a deep sigh. I stepped off of the bus in front of a quaint, small-town grocery store and took a deep breath.

It is at this point that my pretending started.

I entered the grocery store and pretended to be a hungry traveler, looking for a snack for the road. I smiled at the lady working the register as I paid for some twizzlers, a granola bar, a bottle of lemonade and a pack of gum. Before I left, I innocently pumped the cashier for information.

"Hey, some of my dad's family used to live here. Do you know of the Swan family?"

The cashier's eyes lightened up in recognition before they turned sad. "Yes. Unfortunately, the last of the Swan family, our former chief of police, died some years ago and his wife and daughter moved away. They used to live out on Mayberry Street, in the little white house in the middle of the block, but a new family lives there now." I could tell by her voice that she remembered my father and missed him. After inquiring about the location of the Forks cemetery, I smiled sadly, thanked her, and left with my purchases.

I checked my map and located Mayberry Street. As I walked the few blocks over, I pretended that I was a carefree teenager, walking home from school. I chewed lazily on my twizzler and counted the steps between each crack in the sidewalk. I imagined, if I had grown up here, I would know the exact number of steps between the grocery store and home.

As I turned onto Mayberry Street, I slowed, wanting to draw out the fantasy I was weaving within my head. I meandered down the block, skipping over puddles and swinging my wet hair. Soon, I reached the only white house on the block and I stared up at it wistfully. It was small, tiny actually, but it looked like home. There were boxes overfilled with flowers hanging under the front windows. Frilly curtains blocked the interior from my view. It was neatly painted and shiny from the rain. The trees framed it like it was a picture, narrowing my focus so I didn't notice the houses on either side of it.

For a moment, I was able to pretend that this was my home. I pretended that my mom was inside, working on one of her many craft projects and that my dad was in the tiny garage, tinkering with his fishing lures. I leaned up against a tree and imagined myself bursting through the front door, tossing my book bag into a corner and bouncing to the kitchen for a snack.

Just then, a woman and a little boy exited the front door and walked down the front walk. They quickly got into the green jeep in the driveway and drove away. Their appearance burst the fragile bubble that held my fantasy. I was brought down to earth and thrust back into my stark reality in mere seconds.

Sighing, I reluctantly walked away and started the trek towards the Forks cemetery.

I was there in no time and I paused before entering the grounds. I walked slowly down the haphazard rows of graves, carefully reading each headstone until I found one that said Swan.

It was a marker for a woman.

Cathleen Winters Swan. Beloved wife and mother.

The next one was for a Henry Swan. Husband, father.

The last one was my dad's.

Charles Swan. Beloved Husband and father.

I sat on the ground facing the battered headstone and picked at the grass.

"Hey, daddy."

I didn't know what else to say. I didn't want to talk about what life had been like since he'd died. I didn't want to tell him how much I missed him and how I hated myself because I was starting to forget him. I just wanted to be near him, in whatever way I could. I felt better, just being here, in this town, where he'd been born and lived and smiled and met my mom. I knew that I would settle here, in the place of my birth, if only for a little while.

I stayed there for hours, thinking about my mom and dad and trying to remember. Eventually I fell asleep and was awoken by a flash of lightning and thunder in the twilight sky. I jumped up and noticed that the little drips of rain I had become accustomed to have gotten fatter and more frequent. I pulled my backpack on and headed towards what I thought was the entrance to the Cemetery, watching my feet to ensure I didn't slip on the slick puddles starting to form over the graves.

When I looked up again, I was surrounded by trees. I turned in a tight circle, not recognizing a single thing. Every tree looked the same. No lights shined to guide my way to civilization.

I was lost.

I whimpered and closed my eyes, trying to stop myself from panicking. I took deep slow breaths and started to pretend. I pretended I was taking a shortcut through the woods on the way home from a friend's house. I opened my eyes, smiled and started walking forward, pretending that I knew exactly where I was headed.

The sun descended completely as I walked, cloaking the forest in blackness. I pushed down my fear and kept moving. I started hearing the sounds of animals moving through the woods around me and I moved faster with every step I made. Soon I was running, tripping and stumbling every few seconds, ignoring the stinging scrapes on my palms. Just when I was falling into an abyss of full-blown panic, there was a break in the trees and I stopped abruptly, surprised to find a house directly in front of me.

I could barely see it in the darkness, but I could make out a few basics. This house was also white, but unlike the little white house on Mayberry, it was huge. It was also dark, telling me that nobody was home. I slowly approached the house and peered through a narrow window. Dark shadows and shapeless objects filled the space, making it look sinister and abandoned. I looked around and decided I'd rather spend my night in a creepy house than out in the rain with dangerous animals.

I grabbed a brick from a nearby flowerbed and smashed the little narrow window next to the door. I quickly stuck my hand through, flicked the deadbolt on the door and let myself inside. I hurriedly shut the door behind me and turned to stare into the darkness of the house. It was dank and musty, like it had been closed up for a long time. I walked slowly in, letting my eyes adjust. When my retinas could properly convey the shadowed images in from of me, I looked around in interest. The shadowed objects appeared to be furniture covered by sheets to keep them from collecting dust. I could make out a few sofas, stuffed chairs and a piano under the lumps of fabric in the room I was standing in. I dug in my pack and pulled out an old book of matches my mom had given my from a wedding she went to years ago. I lit one and used the light to sweep the room and explore its nooks and crannies. There was a staircase that led up to another level. A door to my left led to an unknown destination.

A powder room maybe?

A mantle was the focus point of the sofas and chairs and a light sheet was draped over whatever objects sat on it. I walked towards the mantle and gently pulled the sheet away. Several crystal knickknacks and candles decorated the mantle and I bit my lip in deliberation before grabbing the biggest candle. I swore to leave enough money for the repairs and the candle when I left. I hated the idea of freeloading like this, but I didn't want to sleep out in the storm.

I lit the candle and carried it over towards the seating area. I pulled the sheet from a sofa and sat gingerly on the cream-colored cushions. I removed a sheet from what I assumed was a coffee table in front of me and carefully sat down the candle on the surface.

I had found my sleeping place for the night.

I pretended that the lights had gone out while I was waiting for my parents to get home from their anniversary dinner. Sitting here in this house, the fantasy seemed as if it were real.

I snacked on my granola bar and drank my lemonade as a mock dinner before removing my boots and lying down on the couch. I watched the flame of the candle flicker as my eyelids drooped from exhaustion.

Right before I dropped off to sleep, I noticed a small carving etched into one of the fancy wooden legs of the coffee table.

'_Emmett was here 1958'_ swam before my eyes as I drifted off to sleep.


	2. Caught

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of the owner, Stephenie Meyer. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

I dreamed of the monster raping me.

That's it. No details,no talking, no fantastical side happenings. I was just being raped, over and over and it was never ending. I woke up with a scream in my throat.

Once I realized I was safe, enclosed within an abandoned house in a town hundreds of miles away from the monster, I breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

I didn't want to think about what happened. I just wanted to put it behind me. During the day, I was able to do just that but I couldn't control my dreams. In my sleep, I couldn't pretend.

As I watched the room lighten, I allowed myself to escape once again. I pretended I was a studious college student who awakened on the couch after a long night of studying. I could almost see the books and papers covering the end table next to me. I could almost smell the coffee being brewed by my friendly roommate who I had gotten along with the moment I met her.

I smiled and closed my eyes, allowing the fantasy to take me.

After long minutes, I opened my eyes and they fell on the carving embedded in the leg of the glass-top coffee table in front of me.

'_Emmett was here 1958'_

I wondered who Emmett was as I stared at the neat, capital letters. Where was he? Was he still alive? Was he a grandfather now? What was he like? Did his children now own this house?

I reached out and ran my fingers across the etched words. I had a sudden flash of a huge man with curly brown hair and dimples.

And yellow eyes.

I jerked my hand back in surprise.

What the hell was that?

I sat up quickly, shaken. That was one of the weirdest experiences of my life.

Was that a real person, or is my imagination that good? And if it wasn't my imagination, what the hell was it?

Whatever it was, it had effectively ended my imaginings for the moment.

I slowly stood, deciding to forego my boots, curious about this house and eager to explore it. I looked around, seeing it for the first time in the daylight. The living room was huge; bigger than I expected. The walls were white and the floors were covered in expensive looking ash wood planks. The walls were bare, but contained hooks that hinted that something once hung there. I wondered what kinds of artwork this family hung on their walls. Did they have up family portraits or watercolors? Did they have expensive paintings by the greats or detailed landscapes by local unknown artists?

I walked over to the door off the foyer and opened it up. It was a small powder room with a toilet. I tried the taps and water gurgled out in small short bursts before streaming out steadily.

I smiled in confusion. This house had running water? That means the family couldn't have been gone too long, right?

I shrugged and splashed water onto my still slightly swollen and bruised face, allowing the cool fluid to roll down my neck and soak the collar of my shirt. If the water was on, maybe I could take a shower.

I suddenly felt like goldilocks, intruding upon a space that wasn't hers.

Yeah right. Goldilocks was an inconsiderate, blonde bitch. I'm nowhere near being blond and at least planned to leave some money for the family that owned this house.

It was the least I could do for all the trouble I caused.

I left the powder room and headed towards an entryway on the other side of the living room. It led to a kitchen that was bare except for some slightly outdated heavy appliances. A heavy sheet covered a huge island in the middle of the cooking space. Another entryway led into a dining room with a long oval table that appeared to seat eight. It was covered by a sheet that I slowly pulled off.

Obviously, my curiosity knew no bounds.

The table was absolutely beautiful and obviously an antique. The chairs had straight, sturdy cherry would backs and the cushions were upholstered in an obviously expensive fabric that was stitched with gold thread. The table looked extremely heavy, yet delicate at the same time.

I admired it for long moments before hesitantly sliding into one of the chairs. I sat there for a while, pretending I was the guest of honor at a dinner party. I pretended I was seated next to a handsome man who hung on my every table was what dreams were made of. It was the table of a real family.

Something I would never have again.

I sighed and pulled myself away from the table, replacing the sheet before walking down a long hallway that eventually led back to the living room. I meandered past another cloth-covered mass that was oddly-shaped. I peered at it curiously, trying to guess what it hid before heading towards the stairs.

I'd investigate the weird object after discovering what hidden treasures lay on the other levels.

My bare feet made no sound as I ascended the plush, carpet-covered treads and stepped onto the landing. I looked left then right, taking in the long hallway extending in both directions. I decided to turn left first.

I slowly surveyed the second level. There were three doors lining this side of the hall. One led to a mauve-painted room with a bed covered in stiff white sheets. In had its own connecting bathroom and the shower was awesome; huge with multiple showerheads.

I made a mental note to try that shower before I left.

I exited and tiptoed to another door, finding it locked. I contemplated the locked door for long moments, wondering what was behind it before shrugging and turning away.

The third door led to a HUGE bedroom that was painted a breezy blue color. It was completely empty of everything but dust and I could hear my breaths echo through the rafters. I peeked into the bathroom and smiled when I saw a huge claw foot tub.

I added a bath in that tub to my mental list of things to do before I left this palace.

I walked out and turned towards the other end of the hall. Two doors perpendicularly flanked the far wall, where a large, intricately carved wooden-cross hung on the cream-colored surface. I gasped and moved quickly down the hall so I could get a better look.

It was so beautiful. It also looked really old. I raised my hand up to touch it and the moment my fingers ran across the smooth cool wood, I was assaulted again.

I was suddenly looking at a set of hands, not my hands; these were a man's hands. The hands were carefully and steadily carving into a large mass of wood. Just past the working hands, in a distant corner, another figure, a small boy, sat reading aloud from thick volume. The figure suddenly jumped as if startled.

I gasped and pulled my hand away. I blinked a few times and looked at the cross in amazement.

What was it about this house? That was the second time that weird vision thing had happened. Who were these people? What was up with this house?

Was I going crazy?

I went over the vision (was that what it was?) in my mind. Something seemed so….old about it. Like it was from a different time. It was clear as a bell, but the furnishings and the book the boy was holding looked really antique. Had I seen it all in a movie somewhere? And if I had, why was I thinking about it now?

I felt myself getting a headache from all these considerations. I decided my overactive imagination was the cause for these minor delusions.

I shook my head and turned towards the door on the right. It led to a bright yellow room that, despite the dust, looked as if it were occupied yesterday. Fluffy white bedding covered a beautifully covered four-poster bed. A small white vanity sat in the corner and a white love seat sat in front of a wall of glass that looked out into the lush forest that lined the West edge of the property.

The room was so feminine and frilly. A little too frilly. Although the bed looked inviting, I decided that my scarred face and morose disposition didn't match this room at all.

I noticed that this room had its own private bathroom also. I'd never been in a home with so many bathrooms. It was a little strange. Why didn't they share? The water bill for this place must be astronomical.

After exiting the bathroom, I noticed another door that I assume led to the closet.

I was right and wrong.

I pulled it open and was startled to see that the door connected this room to the one across the hall. A short corridor led behind the wall adorned with the intricate cross and into a space lined with shelves, drawers and teak-wood hangers.

It could have easily been another room, but it was obvious that is was used as a large dressing room or closet.

Who had a closet this big?

I noticed that three garment bags hung from racks at the very front of the closet. I unzipped the first one and found three pairs of blue jeans with the tags still on tucked inside. I gasped and hurriedly backed away from the garment bag when I noticed the price on the first tag.

Over five-hundred dollars for a pair of jeans?

This confirmed it. This man Emmett and his family were rich. Who leaves five-hundred dollar jeans in an empty house in the middle of the woods, where anyone could easily break in without witnesses? Only the rich would do something like that.

Still, why would they leave them here? And they were practically new. Why not take them along, wherever they were now?

All of this was becoming way too confusing.

I quickly left the room and headed up the second flight of stairs to the third level. A short hallway led to two doors at each end, one of which was left open. I peeked inside and looked around with interest. The room appeared to be a small office or library and had one piece of furniture covered in another one of the white sheets. I lifted the corner of the sheet to reveal a large tilted table that looked like a drafting board of some kind. It was a beautiful mahogany color and didn't have one scratch or mark on its smooth surface.

This house had so many nice things. How nice it must be to live in such a place, surrounded by intricate antiques.

I pretended for a second that this was my office; that I worked from home during the day while my kids were at school and my husband spent his days at some office nearby, providing for our family. I pretended that I'd lose track of time, so engrossed in whatever project I was working on and would look up at the clock, startled to see that my husband and kids would be expecting dinner in less than a hour. I pretended that my children, a boy and girl, would cheer when I told them it would be another pizza night and my husband would smile indulgently at me before kissing my temple and heading out to pick up our greasy pizza dinner.

It was so easy to lose myself in the fantasy; so easy to pretend that my life was normal, ideal and happy.

But the fact was my life was as empty as this house and not nearly as valuable. I was grateful to have had some place to stay last night, dry and warm and protected from the rain and dangerous animals, but the very idea of the family that once lived here depressed me.

They live or lived a life I could only dream of.

I wouldn't ever have kids, a dog and a husband. No man wanted damaged goods and there was no question that I was damaged. The physical proof was still evident on my body.

I didn't want to stay here another night, yearning for what could have been if my dad hadn't died. I don't think I could stomach it.

I felt my mood drop as I dragged myself from the barren room. I left the door the way I found it and stepped back into the hall, my eyes falling on the door at the opposite end of the hall. It was shut tight but a great amount of light was shining from beneath the crack under the door.

I stepped slowly towards it and paused with my hand on the knob. Despite my depressing thoughts, my curiosity wouldn't let me leave this level without at least taking the smallest look at what lay behind this last door. I paused only a beat longer before entering.

This room was also empty save for one piece of furniture, a sofa covered by another white sheet. And it was bright, so very bright, which was understandable since it faced the east and it was early morning. Whoever once occupied this room must have been an early riser; no one could sleep through the blazing light shining through the wall of glass opposite the intricately carved hallway door.

I walked further into the room and turned slowly, taking it in. It was stark white and that seemed to add to its brightness. There were no other knickknacks or objects in this room, save for the wall of bare glass shelves, covered with a layer of dust, to the right of the window. The ceilings in this room were high and I was glad I'd kept my filthy shoes off because the thick carpet covering the floors was so white that I fear I would have ruined them with the mud that was caked into the soles.

I didn't know what it was, but I loved this room most of all.

I imagined that it was my room, the glass shelves covered in my awards, trophies, my pet cactus and the dolls from my youth, the walls covered in band posters and pictures of my closest friends. I imagined the sofa replaced with a beautiful four-poster bed with a tulle and lace canopy and that I'd feel like a princess as I chattered away on my private phone with my friends from school.

Somehow, pretending in this room didn't make me sad at all. It filled me with possibilities. Maybe I'd never have the life my imagination was conjuring up for me, but I wouldn't have one like my mom. I'd followed my mom's instructions to the letter and left to make a better life for myself, even though I had to do it alone. And maybe one day, I would live in a room like this. Just the thought that I could one day have such a sanctuary filled me with unmitigated hope.

I sighed under the feeling that hope brought to my chest and moved closer to the sofa. I pulled the sheet from it and regarded the black, leather surface in curiosity. It was such a stark piece of furniture for such a warm room. I wondered what he was like, the person who the black sofa belonged to. It had to be a he; no woman would have such furniture in her private space.

I ran a hand along the back of the sofa, walking around it them perching on its edge. It felt new, like it had barely been sat on. I turned and lifted my legs, resting them on the stiff cushions and wiggled my toes. The sofa was so long that a small child could have fit on the other end quite comfortably.

Definitely a guy's sofa. A tall guy obviously.

I scooted down and lay my head on the arm, gazing up at the play of light through the trees as it caressed the rafters. It would be amazing to wake up to such a sight every morning. And the secluded location of the house would guarantee that I wouldn't have to worry about someone peeking in through the large glass wall and spying on me.

It was perfect.

I snuggled future into the cushions and felt something sharp poke into the small of my back.

"What the…"

I arched my back and reached beneath the cushions, my fingers grabbing hold of a thin flat object. I blinked as I pulled it into view.

I smiled when I recognized it.

It was a small vinyl record cover, and from the slight weight I felt, the record was safely ensconced inside. The cover was faded, but I could clearly make out the words on the cover.

_Van Morrison. Blowin' Your Mind._

My smile got wider, not because I was familiar with his music, but because seeing it brought back a recent memory of my mother that was bittersweet. She had just bought one of those prepaid cellular phones from a co-worker and she was so excited that she encouraged me to call her on it the minute we got home that evening. When I rang her, a mechanical ringtone filled the kitchen and she danced around the small folding table, smiling and singing the words in delight. After the trilling from the device ceased, she told me it was a song by Van Morrison, one of my dad's favorite musicians growing up.

She got really quiet then, her eyes growing dreamy and moist as she reveled in some distant memory brought on by that bell-like tune. I called her again just so I could watch her dance around in happiness once more.

My smile slipped as I remembered what happened afterwards. I remembered how _He_ had come home and found us dancing with each other and singing at the top of our lungs in the small kitchen. I remembered the sound of the blow as he slapped her for not having dinner completed yet and my mother's cry of pain as she stumbled into our ancient fridge. I remembered the rain of plastic hitting the bare painted-concrete floor as he took the phone and shattered it into tiny pieces with his bare hands.

He yelled that a cellular phone would just be a waste of money then glared at me until I retreated to my room. I cried as I listened to the muffled thumps that followed, the sounds of flesh and bone connecting.

I felt so guilty, as I sat in the corner of my room and did nothing to help her, but not as guilty as I felt just three short weeks later.

Because just three short weeks later, she was gone.

I felt slow tears leak down my cheeks as I flipped the square object between my slender fingers. I missed her. I missed her so much but I did not wish she was still here, because if she was, she would be unhappy and bruised right now, still living with _him_ and dying inside each day. I liked to think she was happy now, happy and free, smiling and dancing with my dad, in heaven to the upbeat strains of Van Morrison.

I slid my finger between the flaps of the record cover and slid out the vinyl disk. As I ran my fingers across the rigged surface, it happened again.

Another vision.

And this time, I knew it wasn't my imagination. It was too clear; too vivid, and I knew, with everything in me, that the events of this vision had really happened, right here, in this very room.

I saw hands, hands holding a newer, less faded version of this album, but the hands were not mine. They were male hands, pale, long and slender. They were so elegant, the way they gently held the record.

I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was his room. This was his couch and his album. This was his sanctuary.

A small, opaque cloud of dust burst into the air from the surface of the vinyl disk as whoever was holding it blew a swift stream of air across its surface. Then the hands deftly placed the record on an old-fashioned record player and positioned the needle carefully on its surface.

I gasped as the very song my mother and I danced to in the kitchen those few short weeks ago came through the fluted speaker positioned atop the old player. The jaunty tune filled the room with slightly scratchy sound.

Suddenly the room spun extremely fast. And I was looking out the large glass wall, but something was different. It was night and, with the darkness of the forest, the glass wall had become a hazy mirror. A tall man in a multi-patterned shirt was reflected in the glass panes.

He was beautiful, slender and pale with dark hair and darker eyes that looked dead and lifeless. His elegant hands were now stuffed into light-colored pants and his feet were bare.

It was so strange; the song was so upbeat, yet he looked so solemn.

He looked so…alone.

He looked like I felt.

He started to hum along with the song, his voice smooth; his expression still frozen.

"Sha la la, la la, la la, la la, l-la te da…"

Suddenly a loud crash sounded, the room blurred again and I was back on the sofa, the album clenched between my fingers.

I took a deep breath and ran a hand through my tangled hair. I had no idea what was going on in my head or why I was having these strange visions, but I knew it was connected to this house and the people who'd lived here.

Who were they? Why was I seeing visions of them whenever I touched their stuff?

And who was the tall man, the one who called this room his own? Why was he so sad?

It was like something out of a sci-fi movie; orphan girl finds a strange house in the woods that evokes magical visions. What if this house was doing something to me, like taking over my brain or something?

I resolved not to touch anything else in this house. I needed to find some other place to stay before the house devoured me, like in that one horror movie, or worse the owners came home. That would be awkward to explain.

_Hey, I'm sorry I broke your window and snooped through your things but I ran away from my sexually abusive stepfather and got lost in the woods in the middle of a storm. I had nowhere else to go. Here's some money for the damages. By the way, you have a lovely home._

I didn't think they'd appreciate a teenaged squatter taking up residence in their opulent, empty home.

I stood quickly and sat the album down on the sofa cushions. No doubt the owner had missed it as he was packing to move out and he'd most likely want it back. I'd best put it where he could find it.

I quickly stumbled down the two flights of stairs and headed towards my pack. Grabbing some fresh clothes, I glanced wistfully of the stairs, picturing the gigantic shower with the multiple heads and the deep, claw-footed tub. I would love a proper bath, but I decided to stay away from anything that could bring on the unsettling visions.

I washed up in the small powder room and changed quickly before grabbing my wallet out of my pack and heading towards the front door. I'd leave my stuff here for a few more hours while I secured some place to stay in town, then I'd return for them.

I headed out the door and surveyed the front yard, trying decided which direction to go in to get back to town. After a few minutes, I could barely make-out an overgrown driveway that arched between a break in the trees. I followed it until I came to the street. A sign about 30 yards to my right welcomed anyone driving in that direction to Forks and I knew this was the direction to town.

It took me thirty minutes to reach any sign of civilization. The first sign was a small corner store that sat back from the road behind a makeshift parking lot and I quickly entered it and headed to the front counter. A woman with light-brown hair sat high on a stool behind it. Her eyes glued to a small, black and white, portable television. She was so engrossed in whatever was on the screen that I stood, unnoticed for several moments before clearing my throat.

She jumped, startled. "Ohhh! Dear, you scared me so. You're a quiet thing, aren't you?"

I smiled a little as I took in her lightly lined face. "Actually, I'm usually quite loud. I'm clumsy and knock things down a lot so normally you'd have heard me coming minutes before I actually showed up."

She laughed delightedly and I raised an eyebrow. I didn't think it was that funny.

"Oh, …well, dear, that was quite a graceful entrance you made just now. I didn't even hear you. I think our little town just might be good for you!"

I smiled wanly at her, thinking of all the strange things that had happened to me since I entered town. Good isn't the word I'd use.

"Just might. Which is why I'm in here."

She smiled at me helpfully, folding her hands on the counter in front of her. "What can I do for you dear?"

I quickly fed her one of the stories I'd been _pretending_ since I'd runaway. I was a recent high-school graduate, touring the country after deciding to take a gap-year before college. I'd decided to head to Forks after learning that I had family here and decided to stay for a few days. I was interested in some cheap lodging. I was a student after-all and couldn't afford anything swanky.

She helpfully gave me directions towards a Lodge on the other side of town that had decent, nightly rates. I bought a pack of bubble gum from her before I waved goodbye and left her store, headed towards the lodge.

The walk took me over an hour but I made it to the Lodge, where I managed to convince the pimply-face boy working the desk that, yes, I was 18 and, yes, he _should_ rent me a room unless he wanted me to spend another night in the woods and possibly get dragged away by an animal. To which he made no reply, just gave me something to sign and handed me a key card.

I quickly checked out my room then, satisfied they were up to par, I left and headed back towards town. I walked slowly up the street, imagining my mom and dad and how they fit into this setting. I pretended that they were just a few paces behind me, his arm around her, as they watched me, their only child, walk ahead of them towards a family outing. For one small moment, while that fantasy ran through my head, I was happy.

I had a late lunch at a small diner in town before I decided that I'd better head back to the house in the woods to get my stuff. I didn't want to make my way down that overgrown path while it was dark.

Sometime into my trip, it started to rain and I pulled up my hoodie, thankful I'd thought to wear it. I had to settle for counting downed trees as I walked as hardly any cars passed down the deserted road. In the forty-five minutes it took me to get back to the hidden drive in the woods, I only saw two vehicles, a nearly empty bus and a repair van.

I peered up through the canopy of leaves that filtered the sunlight as I finally neared the end of the drive that led to the front yard of the house in the woods. I needed to quickly grab my pack if I didn't want to be walking through town in the dark. I quickly sprinted across the front yard and threw myself through the front door.

I grabbed my pack, wrote a handwritten apology to the owners of the house, plopped the note and some money on the mantle then strode towards the door, my lodge room key clutched in my hand. I was only a few short steps away from touching the knob when I froze in shock.

The window was fixed.

The window that I'd shattered to break in last night was completely intact. Only its clear shine and the telltale slivers of glass that dotted hardwood floor beneath the pane served as evidence that it had even been broken.

I stared at it in bewilderment. That glass was not something you could just find in a hardware store. It was so intricate; surely, it was a special order type of thing. How did they know it was broken? How was it fixed so quickly?

Suddenly I heard a throat clear behind me.

I dropped my head to my chest in dread, knowing my earlier fear had just come true.

I had gotten caught, trespassing and possibly breaking and entering, by the owner of the house.

No amount of pretending could get me out of this one.


	3. Confused

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of the owner, Stephenie Meyer. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

This story contains issues of rape. If you are sensitive to these issues, please do not read any further. You have been warned.

I stood stock still, my chin tucked into my chest, my eyes clenched tight, as I fervently hoped that I was once again having one of those weird visions.

I knew I wasn't, though.

This was absolutely real. I had just been caught, red-handed, and I couldn't pretend the situation away.

"Aren't you going turn around, Bella?"

My head snapped up in surprise and fear. She knew my name. I was in so much trouble. She'd turn me in and they'd call _him_. Then I'd be stuck with him forever. I couldn't go back there, I'd die first. Maybe I could explain, beg or something; anything not to go back to that monster. He'd already taken over my dreams. I can't let him have everything else too.

I turned slowly, my hands twisting together stressfully, my head still down.

"Please…just let me go. I'm sorry for what I did, but I had to. I left money…can't we just forget about this and not involve the cops? Please?"

A bell-like laugh sounded, my head snapped up and I looked at her for the first time.

Only a few feet in front of me stood a woman. Or was she a girl? I couldn't tell because she was so tiny, even smaller than me.

Whatever her age, I didn't think it much mattered. It didn't change the fact that she was simply beautiful. Pale clear skin, short dark trendy hair, a blindingly white smile, impeccable clothing and bright golden eyes overwhelmed me.

I gulped, feeling like a leper as I stood in front of her, my face bruised and scarred, my clothes wrinkled and inexpensive.

She rolled her eyes at me. "I'm not going to call the cops, Bella. Don't worry so much."

I paused in confusion. She wasn't going to call the cops? This was getting strange.

"Why?" I peered at her in genuine perplexity.

She raised an eyebrow. "Why aren't I going to call the cops or why shouldn't you worry so much?"

My eyes narrowed. Was she playing with me? "Both."

She giggled and bounced a little. "Because this was supposed to happen, silly! You're going to be my best friend!"

I gapped at her, totally flabbergasted. Had I entered the twilight zone? Best friends? She didn't even know me. I could be some criminal or something and she was, what, declaring our friendship?

My face must have shown my disbelief, because she laughed at me again. "Come on, Bella. Put down that bag and have a seat. We can talk and get to know each other."

I found myself following her directions without hesitating. I dropped my bag from my shoulder and leaned it against the foyer wall before following her back into the living room. She perched on the sofa I'd slept on last night before patting the cushion beside her. I quickly sat, my eyes scanning the space, taking in all the evidence of my intrusion. Why was I not in handcuffs right now? Why did she want to be my friend? As a matter of fact…

"How did you know my name?" My eyes met hers and I watched as they danced with mirth.

She shrugged. "I just know things sometimes. But we'll get to that. So…Bella, tell me how you ended up at my family's home."

She just knows things? I stared at her for a full minute, trying to understand what her words meant, but it just made me more confused. I blew of a frustrated breath and found myself cooperating once more.

"Well…I came here, to Forks, because this is where my family used to live." I paused and she nodded in encouragement, giving me a small smile.

"I went to the cemetery, to my family's graves and I fell asleep." Her brows raised but I ignored it and kept going. "The nap must have disoriented me because after I woke up, went to leave and I got lost in the woods. It was raining and I was scared of all the animal sounds I heard around me. When I found your house, I decided I'd rather be dry and safe than wet and some bear's meal. So…I broke your window. I'm sorry."

The girl laughed again. "Oh, Bella, its alright. Those windows get broken all the time. We keep them in stock at the hardware store in town. It was a snap to get it fixed."

I shook my head. "Still, I broke into your house and I slept on your couch. I used your water and I lit one of your really nice candles. I'm not usually so presumptuous, and I'm sorry for what I did. That's why I left the money."

She laughed again. "Really, Bella, its ok. You did what you had to. It's not like you were a burglar, not that we have much to steal in here right now. I trust you. The money isn't necessary. So, where were you going just now?"

My head reeled, both from all she'd said and from how fast she said it. There was something about her that was so strange. It was almost as though she knew me somehow, but this was my first time meeting her. I would have remembered meeting someone like her before.

"Well, I didn't want to just live in a stranger's house, so I got a room at the lodge in town. I was just coming to get my things and leave some money for the damages."

She smiled. "Oh, that won't do. I can't let you waste money on that icky Lodge! You can stay here! I'll open the house back up and we can hang out and get to know each other! It'll be great!"

I stared at her in shock. Who _was_ this girl? I remembered my earlier fantasy, where I pretended I was a college student with a really nice roommate. Now this girl was telling me that she wanted me to live in her house with her. What was her _deal_?

"But…you don't even know me! I don't even know you! This is crazy!"

She grinned wider and bounced in her seat a little before sticking out her small hand. "I'm Mary Alice Cullen. But please, call me Alice. Mary is soooo generic."

For some reason, despite the strangeness of the situation, I couldn't turn off my manners. I automatically shook her hand and gasped at how cold it was. Wow, she was freezing. She must have poor circulation or something. "I'm Isabella Marie Swan, but you can call me Bella. Isabella is kind of exotic and I'm so…not."

She laughed like I'd said the funniest things she'd ever heard. What was up with the people of Forks? No one thought I was funny before I came to Washington. Now, all of a sudden, I'm a comedian. "Bella, god you're modest. That's ok. It's really cute. So…will you stay? Just stay one night and if you don't feel comfortable after that, you can go stay at the Lodge. Pleeease, Bella?"

I sighed and ran a hand through my tangled hair. "Are you sure this is ok, Alice? I mean you just met me… after I broke into your house! What would your family think?"

Alice grinned wider. "Well, Esme…uh…my mom, she'd be happy you dropped by. She loves to mother people! And my Dad, Carlisle, he'd probably want to check you out, make sure you aren't sick or anything from trampling through the woods in the rain. He's a doctor, you know. As for my brothers and sisters, they'd love you I just know it! Emmett would think you're a total bad ass!"

I gapped at her in recognition of the name. Emmett. A family name? "You're family…where are they now? Are they with you?" No matter what she said, I couldn't see the rest of her family understanding my actions. If they were around, I needed to know.

She shook her head. "No. They're in different places right now. My parents are in Alaska visiting family and my brother and sister, Emmett and Rosalie are with them. My brother Edward is traveling South America and my Jasper is catching up with some friends of his in Vancouver. It'll just be us here, don't worry Bella."

I sighed in resignation. I knew I would do what she asked. I did feel comfortable with her despite having just met her. "Ok, Alice. I'll stay for one night."

She bounced up and gave me a surprisingly strong hug. "Oh, Bella! We're going to have so much fun! You'll see! Now come on, lets go cancel that room at the lodge! You can stay in one of the bedrooms here! Oh! Or…we can have a sleep over! We'll camp out on the floor with pillows and blankets and gossip all night!" She pulled me up by my sleeve and dragged me towards the kitchen as she talked. I stumbled a bit trying to keep up with her as she pulled me along, her grip threatening to tear into my threadbare hoodie.

We bypassed the island and went straight towards a door that was hidden around the corner in the kitchen. As I stepped across the threshold, I realized it led to a huge garage.

The garage was completely empty, save for a bright yellow sports car. It sat gleaming in the afternoon sunlight streaming in through the high, clearstory windows. Alice remotely unlocked the yellow machine with a beep and my gasp echoed and bounced around the immense space.

"_That_ is your car?" My mouth hung open in astonishment as I hesitantly walked towards the obviously expensive car.

She laughed. "Yep. My brother Edward bought it for me after I won a bet. He knows I always win. Everyone knows. I don't know why they always try and bet against me." She looked genuinely perplexed about that. I smiled. I liked Alice. She was so confident, so sure of herself and so likeable. I wished I could be more like that. She probably was really popular and had tons of friends in school. If she was even in school, she seemed older than me somehow, despite her size. "How old are you, Alice?"

She motioned me towards the passenger's side door while she climbed into the drivers seat. "Well, that would all depend on perspective. To my parents, I'm a baby, to the world, I'm nineteen, but in my heart, I'm a senior citizen!" She seemed completely serious as she said this and I laughed at her.

"So in actuality, you're nineteen." I grinned at her playfully while I buckled my seat belt.

She suddenly turned to me in her seat, her face getting very serious. "What if I told you I was much older than nineteen? Would you believe me?"

I paused from snapping my belt and looked right into her eyes. They looked so old and so…inhuman, like they had seen many strange things. I didn't know what it was, but somehow I felt like Alice was trying to tell me something important. I felt like she wanted to trust me and wanted me to trust her.

And suddenly, inexplicably, I did.

"Then I believe you Alice. I think somehow I already knew. You just seem so worldly somehow. Like you've been around forever." I hesitated and she stayed quiet, sensing there was more. "And…there's something about your house. I know it sounds crazy, but I think it opened something up in me…something powerful and not quite normal. I know things I'm not supposed to know. Is that weird?"

He eyes showed her understanding. "No, its not. Trust me, if we are going to be friends, you need to get used to weird."

I laughed as she pushed the ignition button and garage door button both at the same time and sped out of the garage and down the overgrown driveway at break-neck speed. I clutched the seat on either side of me and held on tight. "Geez, Alice, you drive like you're super human!"

She giggled. "I am, silly! I am!"

As she continued to speed through the back roads of Forks, I watched her. At that moment, she did seem superhuman. The sky was overcast, but the faint light that filtered through the clouds seemed to make her skin glow. She grinned over at me and her teeth gleamed.

I smiled back at her and started to pretend again. I pretended I was just a normal girl, going on a weekend joy ride with my best friend. The weird thing is, it actually felt real this time.

She made a sudden right turn and I grabbed on to the door, trying to say put in my seat.

A sudden and strong vision assaulted me the moment I touched the expensive door panel.

I was still in the car, but something was different. I was looking at things from a slightly different angle, somehow, like I was taller or something. The scene outside the narrow windows of the car was different also. Instead of a wall of green, the scene outside showed a sea of white. Snow? I glanced towards the drivers seat and startled upon discovering that Alice was no longer in the seat. A big guy with deadly looking muscles sat behind the wheel, the upper half of his body hanging out of the small window. The car was going well over a hundred miles per hour, yet despite my panic, I couldn't move. Suddenly a voice came from inside of me. "Emmett, get back in the car and drive like a human. Alice would kill you if you totaled her car." The voice was deadly calm, with a slight southern drawl. The big guy simply laughed and pushed the car faster. Suddenly the body I was in delivered a deadly blow to the arm of the big guy and the car jerked. The guy climbed in laughing and I recognized him at once.

It was the curly haired guy. The one I had the first vision about as I touched the carving on the table. And his name was Emmett. Did he put the carving there? No, he couldn't have. It said 1958. This guy didn't look a day over twenty.

He grinned in my direction devilishly. He was quite handsome in a rugged kind of way. And he looked playful and maybe just a bit childish, but in a good way.

"You are no fun, Whitlock! That was awesome! I see now why dogs do it all the time!"

The voice came from me again. "Yeah, well do it in your own car next time. Alice just got this car and I think she loves it more than me."

Emmett looked over at me with a crestfallen face. "I can't do this in the jeep! It doesn't have a roof! That takes all the fun out of it! And Rosie won't let me do it in _her_ car!"

The vision ended just as abruptly as it started and I gasped in confusion as I found myself back in the car. We had arrived at the lodge and Alice was looking at me in concern as we sat parked by the door.

"Bella, are you ok? It was like you blanked out for a minute."

I shook my head, certain now that something was seriously wrong with me. It wasn't the house. I was in Alice's car this time and I'd had another weird vision. Except, I didn't think they were visions anymore. Somehow, someway, they were triggered every time I touched something that belonged to a Cullen.

"Alice, do you believe in visions?"

Alice's eyes grew wide and excited. "Yes! Yes I do!"

Before she could say anything more, I jumped in. "Good, cause Alice, I swear I'm not crazy, but every since I broke into your house, I have been having these weird visions. Or memories. I don't know what they are but they are scaring me."

Alice looked at me for a long moment then nodded. "Ok, Bella. Lets get your stuff and check you out and we'll talk about it back home. I think we are going to need privacy for this conversation anyway."

I nodded and we quickly left the car and dashed into the Lodge. It only took a few minutes to explain to the night-shift desk manager that I no longer needed the room. He refunded my money and we quickly left, speeding away from the Lodge at the same speed we used to get there.

By unspoken agreement, we both stayed quiet on the drive back, me watching the wall of green that flashed by, Alice bouncing slightly to a tune in her own head. As I stared at the burred scenery, I though about that last vision. It brought up so many questions, I was getting a headache just thinking about them. It was a relief, though, to have something else to think about other that my dire circumstances. Soon we were pulling into the huge garage and Alice was shutting off the engine.

"Lets talk in the living room." I nodded and followed her through the kitchen. She hit a wall switch and soft light flooded the living space, making it more inviting. I could easily see just how nice the house really was with the lights on.

I sat beside her on the couch, looking around with new eyes. "When did the electricity get turned on?"

She smiled. "I put in the order a few days ago. Unfortunately, they were only able to get it on for this evening; so sorry you had to spend the night in the dark. The water was turned on right away, though! I should begin receiving my mail here tomorrow, thank god. I'm expecting the July Vogue any day now!"

I stared at her in confusion again. A few days ago? She ordered the water and electricity turned back on days before I even got to Forks? That had to be a coincidence, right?

She interrupted my thoughts, her face turning serious. "Now, tell me about the visions."

I started by questioning her. "Alice…how does your brother Emmett look? Is he a big guy? Muscles everywhere? Does he have curly, dark hair and golden eyes like you?"

Alice smiled and bounced happily. "Yes, Bella! You described him perfectly! He's so happy and fun-loving all the time! And competitive!"

I sat back, flabbergasted. I really saw him. The visions were real. "Alice, I think these visions are memories. I touched the carving on the table leg last night and saw his face reflected in the glass coffee table. I thought I was going crazy, but it happened twice more upstairs, then again in the car. This is so freaky!" I was in disbelief that something like this was happening to me. What was wrong with me?

"Nothing is wrong with you Bella. I promise you."

I didn't know I had even spoken that last part aloud. Had I spoken aloud? I was pretty sure I hadn't. Alice smiled.

"Bella, you didn't say it out loud. I just jumped the gun a bit when I answered you. I do that sometimes. It's hard seeing the future. Soooo not good for your social life."

I gapped at her. "Your…psychic?"

She smiled. "Yes. I don't care much for labels though. I mean I see the future, but its not absolute or anything. People change their mind all the time. Of course I see it when they do but still, I'm not all seeing or anything. But I do see a lot. I saw you as soon as you decided to come to Forks. And you don't change your mind when you make it up, do you? The vision was so clear! I was able to pinpoint your arrival down to the day! I was hoping I would arrive to greet you but I was in Vancouver with Jasper and I just couldn't pass up shopping on Robson Street before leaving. And I'm glad I did stay! I found some great things for you!"

I interrupted her, my mind spinning. "Alice…Alice wait, back up a minute! You can see the future?"

She nodded, a happy grin on her face.

"And you saw me coming? You knew I would eventually end up in your house?"

She nodded again bouncing. "And I saw that we'd be best friends! I'm so excited! I've never had a best friend before! I don't even know how it works!"

I smiled at her indulgently. "I'd say you're doing just fine so far. Better than fine, actually. You had the water and electricity cut on for me before you even met me."

Alice beamed and I cleared my throat. "So, if you can see the future, what is happening to me? I mean, I'm not seeing the future or anything, but I am seeing things that aren't normal."

Alice looked thoughtful. "Well, tell me exactly what you saw and maybe we can figure it out."

I told her about the carving and the cross and the visions I saw when I touched them. She listened wide-eyed as I relayed the vision I got in the car, as we were driving to the lodge. I hesitated before relaying the vision I had in the room on the third floor. I don't know why I was so hesitant to tell her. Maybe because the guy in the vision seemed to be in a private moment, something not meant to be shared.

"What, Bella? What else?"

I shrugged. "Its nothing…its just, I had another one too. It was stronger than the others." She nodded to encourage me and I took a deep breath. "Well, I was in the room on the third floor, the one with the black sofa. I wasn't trying to be a snoop or anything; I just wanted to see the house. Well, I liked that room the best. It was so peaceful, you know? Anyway, I found an old Van Morrison record between the sofa cushions and when I pulled it out, I had another vision."

I looked down at my hands, not wanting her to see how this vision affected me. "There was this guy, and he was listening to the record on an old player while staring out of the glass wall. He just looked so…lonely. Elegant, handsome, but heartbreakingly lonely. I even felt his loneliness, if that makes any sense."

Alice looked at me and nodded. "I think you were having a vision of my brother…Edward. That sounds like him. He loves all kinds of music. He's always been that way, though. Sad, morose. I've only seen him smile a handful of times. I think he feels like a fifth wheel sometimes."

I thought about that. "Fifth wheel? Why would he feel like that?"

Alice shrugged. "We were all adopted. Carlisle and Esme took us all in and made us a family. As a result, there is no blood relation between us, so Jasper and I are together and Emmett and Rosalie are a couple. Edward is kind of the odd man out. Its why he prefers to spend so much time off on his own."

I nodded, understanding the situation so much better. How hard must it be to live in a family where everyone was a couple? Still, his sadness seemed to go deeper than that. I couldn't put my finger on it, but something else was bothering him.

I decided to think about it more at a later date. Right now, I needed answers. "So what does it all mean, Alice? What am I seeing if it's not the future?"

She looked thoughtful. "I can't be sure, but it looks like you're seeing the past or something. Tell me, when you see the visions, how are you looking at them?"

I answered immediately. "Its like I'm seeing it from someone else's eyes, like from a first person point of view. In the car, it was like someone was speaking from inside of me. Like I took his place or something."

She stood and started pacing. "You're seeing memories, I think. And they are generated by touch, like you're picking up on some impression made on an object or something."

My eyes widened. "Do you really think that's what it is?"

She stopped pacing and turned to look me in the eye, her face suddenly determined. "There's only one way to find out."

I watched as she ran over to the mantel and grabbed and expensive looking bag. She retrieved a slim cellular phone from its depths and carefully sat it on the glass coffee table in front of me. I stared at it in trepidation, a funny feeling in my gut. She nodded towards it in encouragement.

"Go ahead, Bella. Touch it. If this thing works the way I think it works, you'll get plenty of memories from my phone. I never go anywhere without it."

I hesitated before grabbing the phone from the table.

Nothing happened.

We looked at each other in disappointment for a second and my shoulders slumped as I reached to place the phone back on the table. Just as I was about to sit it down, it rang, the sound extremely loud in the empty house. I hurriedly stabbed at the button on the side, trying to silence it.

And that's when it happened.

I saw flashes of brown and green. They passed me by so fast that I could barely register anything. Then they stopped suddenly, and I was standing in the clearing of a forest. A tinkling laugh escaped from inside of me as my eyes adjusted and focused on a sight too incredible to be believed.

A blond woman was standing next to a tall tree to my left, her arms crossed under her impressive cleavage. A blank look covered her face, but her eyes sparkled as they focused on the middle of the clearing, where a large bear was roaring in anger. The bear turned my way and my eyes widened in recognition. Emmett was crouched down, squaring off with the bear, the grin of his face wide and delighted. The bear swiped at him twice and both times he moved away, so quickly I couldn't even see it. The blonde sighed and dropped her arms. "Emmett! Stop playing with your food! I'm ready to go home!" Emmett smiled and lunged at the bear, his mouth going for its throat.

I clenched my eyes tight against the grizzly vision and when I opened them, the phone was in Alice's hand and she was looking at me with an expectant look on her face.

I took a deep breath, not believing what I saw but knowing it was not a lie.

"Alice …What are you?"


	4. Frozen

The Great Pretender

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of the owner, Stephenie Meyer. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

This story contains issues of rape. If you are sensitive to these issues, please do not read any further. You have been warned. Chapter 1 – Saved

Chapter 4 – Frozen

I, Isabella Swan, am a _great_ pretender.

I know you're probably thinking, '_yeah you've already told us that, Bella'_, but at this point, I think the statement deserves to be repeated.

I'll tell you why.

See, I am great at pretending that everything is ok and normal, when in actuality, my whole world and everything I thought I knew about it has been turned on its head.

You want me to get more specific? Ok. You asked for it.

Right now, at this very moment, I am reclining on a mound of fluffy pillows, a glass of sparkling white grape juice in one hand and a delicious chocolate covered strawberry in the other. My beautiful, spiky-haired best friend is lying at my feet on a similar mound of pillows, quickly and diligently painting my recently clipped and buffed toenails a vibrant, shimmering royal blue. We are laughing and joking and talking about our favorite romantic movies and the heartthrobs that starred in them. We are gossiping about the latest celebrity scandal and making plans for the approaching summer. We are happy and carefree and reveling in our femininity.

I bet you're wondering where the pretending comes in.

Where it starts right about…here.

I am pretending that I've known Alice for years and not just the measly six hours that it's actually been. I'm so good at pretending this, that it actually feels true. I feel like I've known her forever.

I am also pretending that I am staying over at Alice's house for our weekly, parent-approved sleepover. It's a much better to pretend that this is a wonderful routine than to face the truth; that there are no parents around to approve this, for either of us, and that the only reason I'm staying over is because I am a homeless runaway. Yeah, I'll take the first option, please.

Now, I think those two fantasies are pretty good, if I do say so myself, but I could hardly be considered a _great_ pretender based on them alone.

Oh no, my wonderful pretending talents must be attributed to this doozy.

I am pretending that Alice is my best friend in the whole world, that she loves being around me and that we will never allow any of our differences to come between us. I almost believe it. It feels like it's the truth, even now as I think it.

But the freezing touch on my foot is the needle that injects the truth every time I convince myself that this friendship could last.

See that's the funny thing about being a great pretender; the fantasy only last as long as it takes for the truth to intrude upon it. No matter how good my imagination is, the truth cannot and will not be denied.

And the truth that is staring me in the face right now is entirely clear, yet so complicated that it gives me a headache to think about it.

Right now, Alice is my only friend in the world and I truly believe, with time, that she could possibly love being around me. I know I already love being around her.

But there is no way on gods green earth that we can stop our differences from coming between us.

This is not about the fact that Alice is rich and beautiful and I am destitute, battered and bruised.

And it has nothing to do with the fact that Alice has a large family that loves her and gives her sports cars as gifts while I, Bella Swan, have no family left except for a raping, murdering stepfather that took my virginity and gave me a black eye and split lip for graduation.

No, this is about the fact that I am human and my idea of the perfect meal is my mom's spaghetti with meatballs.

And the fact that Alice is immortal and her idea of the perfect meal is my blood.

Yeah, I know. In light of my current position, that takes the idea of playing with your food to a whole other level, doesn't it?

I know its harsh to see it that way after Alice has been so nice to me, but look at it from my perspective.

If I was starving and hadn't eaten in god knows how long, my first inclination would not be to jump on Alice and bite her throat. At the very least, I'd jump on her and beg her to take me to the nearest fast-food joint so I could gorge myself on a greasy, delicious, burger with fries.

But knowing what I do, could I honestly believe that Alice would have the same instincts if she too were starving? If Alice were blind with hunger and one of my wounds opened up in front of her, could she really stop herself from jumping me and drinking for all she was worth, no matter how much she cared about my life?

I didn't know the answer to that question with any certainty, but I did know this; I trusted Alice. Her friendship is saving me, keeping me from falling into a black pool of self-disgust and despair.

And if having her as my friend means that I am risking my life, so be it, because I'd rather have her as my friend and risk death than to live in this world without having her in my life.

Maybe my judgment is faulty but I cannot believe it is wrong despite the fact that, to come to this conclusion took only six hours and one conversation with a vibrant, beautiful, energetic, loving Vampire.

_Four hours earlier…_

"I don't think I understand what you're asking, Bella."

I stared at her, bewildered by her sudden evasiveness. It was obvious by her tone that she knew exactly what I meant. What was she hiding?

"What I am asking, Alice, is for you to tell me why I just watched your brother eat a bear through your eyes."

Alice's eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you sure that's what you saw, Bella?"

I shot up from my seat. "Yes! I _know_ what I saw! Your huge curly haired brother wrestled with a bear then bit its neck like it was a freaking steak! I'm only a seventeen-year-old runaway, but I _know_ that humans don't wrestle bears and eat them! And other humans don't sit by and watch a bear get eaten by a human like its …entertainment! Now since I _did_ see that happen, there is only one logical conclusion. You…are…not…human!"

Alice smiled. "No…I'm not."

I opened my mouth to argue further before I realized she had admitted to my accusation. "You…oh…uh…so what exactly are you?"

Alice's eyes went blank for a second, and then she looked at me, her eyes imploring. "Bella…my family and I are vampires."

I was a statue, frozen and unmoving. The word ran through my head on a loop, echoing through my stunned brain, but it wasn't quite computing. I tried to reconcile what I knew about vampires with the small girl standing in front of me.

Vampires only went out at night, but Alice had gone with me to the Lodge during the day. Sure it was late day, but the sky was still well lit.

Vampires slept in coffins and had vicious fangs, but this house…it was filled with beds and though Alice's teeth did look pretty sharp, they were straight and pearly white without a fang in sight.

And vampires drank blood. Human blood.

But I had spent hours with Alice and she hadn't gone for my neck once.

It was all so fantastical, so unbelievable, but strangely, I didn't doubt her words. They made so much sense. It explained so much. I wanted to laugh and brush her story off as just that; a story, but I knew it wasn't. And lets face it, I couldn't possibly think that vampires were fictional characters when I'd been having weird, memory-visions since I set foot in this house.

I looked at Alice's anxious face and blew out a hard breath. "Wow. That's …uh…wow. Ok. Vampires."

I took in another breath. "So…uh…you drink…blood?"

Alice nodded. "Yes. Not human blood, though, so don't worry. We drink animal blood. It helps us to be more normal."

I nodded, still overwhelmed. "But…you could…if you wanted to. Drink human blood?"

She nodded, but scrunched up her nose in a disgusted sneer. "We could, its almost instinctive, in a way, but we chose not to. All of our reasons are different but the overall concept is the same; we don't want to be monsters. We just want to be happy. And we have been, for the most part. Well…at least most of us have been."

I nodded, not totally understanding, but trying hard to. "Right. Well, you don't look or act like a monster, that's for sure. I knew there was something about you, something off, but It didn't make me want to run away screaming, clutching my throat or anything." I paused. "So where are your fangs? Do they only come out when you're getting ready to…uh…you know…have… dinner?

Alice's smile grew slowly and a delighted laugh poured out from deep within her belly.

"No, Bella! That's just a myth, I promise. We don't have fangs. Our teeth are sharp enough. And we don't sleep in coffins, either."

I nodded quickly. "Oh, I know that much. They beds on the second floor kind of gave that away."

She shook her head sharply. "No, I don't think you get it Bella. We don't sleep…at all. The beds are mostly for show…and other…activities."

Her words sank in and I blushed hard. Despite my embarrassment, I was intrigued. No sleep? God that sounded like heaven. With the dreams I'd been having, no sleep sounded like a cool glass of water on a hot summer's day. What must it be like, to not have to sleep or rest? To just keep going and going without needing to catch a few winks?

I sat back down on the heavily. "Wow, Alice. This is just…so…unbelievable. Wow. So, uh, seeing the future. Is that a vampire thing?"

She laughed and walked around the coffee table to sit next to me. "Nope. It's an _Alice_ thing. Other vampires have powers too, though. My Jazzy can feel and even manipulate the emotions of others. And Edward…he can read minds. Its actually another one of the reasons he's so withdrawn and prefers to be alone. Can you imagine hearing the every thought of everyone you meet, vampire and human? I'd absolutely die,_ if _I _could_ die!"

I jumped in before she could say more. "Wait…you can't die? Ever?"

She hedged a bit. "Well…technically, we can die, but it's quite hard to kill us if you're not another vampire. We have to be dismembered and burned. Otherwise, we just stay the same, unchanged, forever, however long that is."

I shook my head in disbelief and ran a hand down my face, wincing when it hit my swollen eye.

Alice noticed my discomfort and her face became concerned. "Are you ok, Bella? Your eye, is it bothering you?"

I waved off her concern, hoping she wouldn't ask my how I got the dark purple bruise that ringed my eye socket. So far, she'd stayed silent about my battered appearance. "Yes...no…I mean, I forgot for a second and rubbed it, but its fine. I'm just so clumsy…you know…"

She nodded but her face showed she wasn't convinced. "Ok…well do you want me to get you something for it? I don't think we have any ice, but I'm sure I could find something…"

"No!" I grabbed her forearm as she went to turn away then recoiled in shock.

Her skin was cold. Ice cold. Like she should be dead and in a morgue cold.

And it was so hard, Hard and pulsing with restrained strength.

"Shit, Alice! You're freezing!" I stared at her in shock and she smiled sardonically.

"Yeah, I know. That is definitely a vampire thing. No pulse, no heartbeat, no tears. No blood, which is why we have to drink it. It's not all bad though. We're strong and fast and we don't get sick. Our senses are stronger too, so we can hear better, see better that humans. Here, watch this."

Alice suddenly disappeared and less that a second later, she was back next to me, my backpack hanging from her elegant pinky finger. I gapped at her in astonishment.

At that moment, it was absolutely real for me. Alice and her family were vampires. Freaking immortals. She would be forever strong and beautiful. She could go through life without fear and insecurity. She could never be hurt like I was.

"Alice! How did you get like this?"

She shrugged, somewhat sadly. "I don't really know. I can't really remember what my life was like before this. But I have a pretty good idea. The only way to become a vampire is to be injected with vampire venom. I've heard it is a painful process from my family, but I personally don't remember much about it."

I thought about that. "Painful. Like…how painful?"

She suddenly got very serious. "I can't even put that kind of pain into words. Lets just say that it's more pain than you'd want to inflict on anyone, friend or enemy, which is one reasons why there aren't that many vampires.

I blanched and shuddered, then my thoughts focused on her words. "One of the reasons?"

Over the next few hours, Alice changed my entire worldview. She told me about the Vampire leaders, the Volturi and how they were the primary enforcers of the one rule all vampires must follow; keep the secret. She explained their various powers and abilities and how they used them to eradicate any and all threats to their secretive existence. I was simultaneously fascinated and frightened. What had I stumbled into? This world of supernatural creatures with the ability to cause you unimaginable pain was not one I belonged in. I was weak and frail and would stand no chance again the red-eyed, human drinking vampires that Alice described.

After Alice had explained about the Volturi, I'd decided that I'd heard enough for the moment. Alice immediately suggested that we give each other manicures, jumping to the task with an enthusiasm that felt misplaced in light of all she had told me. I hid my discomfort and helped her gather the supplies for our 'girls' night.

I woke up the next morning feeling like I hadn't gotten any rest at all. My dreams were nearly debilitating, switching between me, alone in a cold dark room being spooned by a hot, clammy body that made my flesh crawl and me, alone in a large white, empty house, the silence nearly crippling. I knew by the look on Alice's face as she hustled me into the kitchen to eat the breakfast she'd cooked that she wasn't going to go another day without asking about my past. I could see it in her eyes as she watched me eat my eggs. Her gaze lingered over my bruises almost calculatingly. The moment I put the last forkful in my mouth, she pounced.

"Bella, we've become good friends…right?"

I swallowed and nodded, knowing where she was going with this but not understanding her methods.

She sighed. "And you trust me…right?"

I nodded emphatically. "Yes, Alice I trust you. I have since I met you."

She crossed her arms over her chest, her face determined. "Then why haven't you told me what you're running from? I know you are. Everything about you screams that you're running scared. And the bruises on you, they tell me you have good reason to."

I put my head down, trying to hide my sudden tears. "I guess…I guess I just didn't want you to feel sorry for me. And…I want to…forget."

She sighed. "Bella, you have to talk about what's going on with you. You have to trust someone." She hesitated. "Is it an ex boyfriend or something?"

I snorted. "I wish. I've…never had a boyfriend. It kind of never came up, you know." She nodded and I glanced at her before looking down at my plate, twirling my fork between my fingers. "My mom died and…I just couldn't stay with my stepfather anymore. I…I wanted to start new, in a place where I knew my parents were once happy."

She was quiet for long moments and I looked back up at her. The look on her face was fierce, vampire fierce, and I knew she had figured it out. "He hurt you, didn't he? He put those bruises on your face."

I raised my chin, hating the pitying look on her face. "He hit me because I looked like her and then he…you know… for the same reason."

Alice gasped then jumped up to hug me. Her cold embrace comforted me, but somehow felt a little incomplete. It was like her hug was meant for someone else. She pulled back after my silent tears stopped and she looked at me seriously, her eyes flashing. "You never, ever have to go back there, Bella. You'll always have a place with my family and me if you want it. I promise you."

I nodded, feeling relieved. I guess a small part of me was afraid that Alice would go back to her eternal, glamorous life and I'd be left with no one. Again.

After quickly rinsing the dishes, Alice and I began the daunting task of opening up the house. I approached the task with dread, knowing that everything I touched could potentially trigger one of the unsettling memory-visions. We managed to get most of the downstairs furniture uncovered and dusted before I had one. I was assigned the task of uncovering the misshapen lump in the living room that I had wondered about before. As I pulled the sturdy sheet from it, I gasped.

It was a beautiful harp. I gaped at the beautiful, elegant instrument In astonishment. The strings were so delicate and the curving bow gleamed in the late morning sunlight. I reached out a tentative hand and ran them gently across the strings.

The vision was swift this time.

I was sitting on a low stool behind the harp and pale, well-manicured hands were swiftly and lightly plucking the strings, producing a haunting melody. The light shining through the glass wall glinted off of a huge diamond ring on the third finger of the left hand. Pale, golden hair tumbled down my chest almost to my waist, pooling in my lap and shimmering in the muted sunlight. Suddenly, a piano melody joined the delicate notes of the harp, blending perfectly into the most beautiful music I'd ever heard. The room jerked slightly and I was staring at an exquisite sight.

A man was sitting at a shiny black piano, his bronze hair looking almost red in the sunlight. His broad shoulders were slumped slightly as he curled towards the piano, his fingers flying over the keys.

I couldn't see his face, but there was so much emotion and yearning in the way he played, his posture practically radiating passion.

The music got softer, finally ending with a shared note between the harp and piano. The man turned around on the bench and the slight smile on his face took my breath away. He was beautiful, his deep butterscotch glinting in the sunlight like jewels. Then he opened his perfect lips and spoke.

"They are going to love it, Rose."

I felt myself stand and a soft, elegant voice came out of me. "They'd better."

The vision ended sharply and I gasped.

Alice was at my side in the next second. "What is it, Bella? What did you see?"

I shook my head, trying to clear that perfect smile and its effect on me from my thoughts. "I saw your brother…uh…Edward. He and Rosalie were playing the most beautiful song together, her on the harp and him on the piano. It was…wow." I know my voice sounded awed, but I couldn't help it. There was just so much love in that scene. I could still feel it running through me. It was incredible.

Alice looked thoughtful. "That must have been the time Rosalie and Edward composed that song for Carlisle and Esme for their anniversary. That was the one and only time they'd ever composed something together; they could never manage to get along long enough to do it again."

I was only half listening to her. My thoughts were still on Edward. He was amazing, so passionate. God, what I wouldn't give to see him smile at me like that.

Whoa, where had that thought come from? I shook my head resolutely.

I couldn't let myself think like that. He was a vampire for shits sake. The only thing he'd want to do to me is bite me. Besides, I'm hardly the type that guys smile at. A guy like Edward, beautiful, talented and immortal, he'd never go for someone like me. I was plain, unlucky and unlovable.

But I could pretend, right? I could pretend that that smile was for me. I could make-believe that someone that perfect could think I was beautiful and that all of that passion that he poured into that beautiful instrument was focused on me. As I imagined it, my breath caught in my throat.

"Bella, are you ok? Did something else happen in the vision?" Alice's eyes were speculative, taking in my flushed, bright-red face with interest.

I shook my head. "No…no, I'm fine, it's just…nothing." I hesitated. "Edward…uh, you said he could read minds?"

She nodded. "Yes. It's a pain in the ass most of the time, having someone know your every thought, but we try not to give him a hard time about it since we know it bothers him more than it aggravates us. He's kind of a know it all, though." She rolled her eyes and I blanched a bit.

A part of me hoped to never meet Edward. I couldn't stand him knowing my thoughts, especially the ones about him. I looked at Alice apprehensively. "He's not coming here soon, is he?"

Alice 's eyes glazed over for a second then she smiled at me. "Nope. He's happily hunting and visiting with some friends in the Amazon. His decisions are solely focused only on what game he wants to hunt before moving on further south."

I sighed, partly in relief and partly in disappointment. I wondered what he was like. What kinds of books did he read? What were his interests other than music? When I found myself wondering what his touch would feel like, I stopped myself.

No Bella, don't think like that. His touch will be cold, ice cold, because he's a vampire.

A blood-sucking vampire.

Alice grabbed my wrist and her cold touch brought the point home like nothing else could. "Come on, Bella, let's get the upstairs now." She led me towards the stairs and I followed blindly, my thoughts still swirling. Alice suddenly ground to a halt and I crashed into her back before stumbling back and catching myself.

"Geez, Alice, human here! I can't stop on a dime like you…give me some warning!"

Alice didn't seem to hear me so I walked around to face her. Her glazed eyes blinked rapidly before clearing. She liked at me with a mixture of excitement and trepidation.

I stepped back. "What Alice? What did you see? You're scaring me."

Alice gave me a sheepish smile. "I know I told you Edward's not coming here anytime soon, and that's still true. But…"

I wrung my hands together nervously. "But what, Alice?"

She put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "The rest of my family. They're coming here to join me."

I sucked in a breath and immediately started looking around for places to hide. "Alice, when? I need to get out of here, I now you said they'd understand, but I don't believe they will!"

Alice shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry, Bella. They'll be here in two minutes. They were doing so good, hiding it from me, but the minute Carlisle made the decision to turn onto the drive, I got the vision."

I stared at her exasperated and watched as she turned and headed towards the door. I fidgeted nervously, wondering if I could possibly make a run for it. I could cut through the woods and head back towards the cemetery. It was daytime so I wouldn't be as scared and I was confident I could find my way. My thoughts were broken by the sound of a car door slamming and a booming voice drifted into the house.

"Pixie! What's up? You're surprised to see us, right? We kept it from you good, didn't we?"

I heard Alice's bell-like laughter. "Emmett, you hid it for a while, but I did eventually see. You know I can't be caught off guard!"

I backed slowly towards the stairs, looking wildly around for and escape route. Just as I was about to make a beeline towards the garage, a huge, hulking man jogged into the living room, a huge flat screen television cradled under his arm as if in weighed nothing. I knew immediately that it was Emmett. He face and curls were unmistakable. He stopped short as my heel hit the bottom tread of the stairs and his eyes widened.

"Uh, Alice, why is there a human in our living room?"

An elegant hand slapped him on the back of the head before a statuesque blond stepped around him. "Emmett, stop joking around…and put down that television." She tossed her heir then her gaze snapped to mine, her eyes narrowing and her stance becoming as still as a statue.

I stared at her wide eyed as her face turned fierce and angry.

"Who are you and what are you doing in our house."

I opened my mouth but the words stalled as Alice flitted into the house, three more figures behind her. They all stopped short next to Emmett and Rosalie as Alice skipped to my side.

Grinning, she grasped my hand and pulled my slightly forward. "Guys, this is Bella! She's going be my best friend!"

They all gasped and I gave a halfhearted wave, feeling faint under their intimidating gazes.

A regal-looking man with blond hair stepped forward, his gaze switching between Alice and me with fascination. "Alice…does she…"

Alice interrupted with a broad smile. "Bella knows everything about what we are. She would have known whether I told her or not, trust me."

Carlisle looked at me, stunned and another blond man stepped forward, his eyes narrowed.

"Alice, sweetheart, as fascinating as it is to hear that Bella knows we are vampires, there is something I want to know more right now."

Alice looked dazed for a moment before realization filled her eyes and she swung her stunned gaze towards me.

I looked at her with a growing sense of dread. "Alice, what is it?"

She let go of my hand and placed her frigid hands on my shoulders.

"They want to know why you don't smell human."

Thank you for Reading.

-Kreative


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